(Columnist Payoff) Law Cautions Against Outside PR Spending -- Sort Of

[truthpusher]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49757-2005Jan30.html?referrer=email

Law Cautions Against Outside PR Spending -- Sort Of
Rarely Applied Provision Has Been Interpreted in a Way That Condones Many Agency Public Relations Efforts

By Christopher Lee
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, January 31, 2005; Page A19

There is a 17-word, one-sentence provision in federal law that appears to warn federal agencies away from hiring public relations firms -- the sort of arrangement that recently landed the Education Department in hot water with Congress.

"Appropriated funds may not be used to pay a publicity expert unless specifically appropriated for that purpose," states the provision in the U.S. Code.

Such language seemingly would have put the kibosh on the Education Department's $1 million-plus contract with the public relations firm Ketchum Inc. to promote President Bush's No Child Left Behind law, an effort roundly criticized by some in Congress as propaganda. After all, the Education Department is not like, say, the Defense Department, to which Congress grants millions of dollars each year specifically for military advertising and recruiting.

Alas, it is not that simple.

more:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49757-2005Jan30.html?referrer=email

[Career Prole]

1. "Violations can bring administrative sanctions..."

"...such as letters of reprimand, but criminal charges are rare or unheard of, according to GAO officials. The GAO has no enforcement power; Congress or the administration imposes sanctions."

Well the damned Congress had best start enforcing sanctions, then.
It's bad enough they use my tax money for a war I completely opposed, but now they're saying I must pay for propaganda glorifying programs or changes to programs which I think are downright stupid?
No...get off your asses, Congress. You're about to turn me into a tax protestor.
:grr:

[Roland99]

2. What is Talon News, and why does it have press credentials?

http://mediamatters.org/items/200501280006

Talon News, a conservative company whose Washington bureau chief and White House correspondent Jeff Gannon is well-known for asking loaded pro-Republican questions at White House press briefings, appears to be more a political organization than a media outlet.

Media Matters for America recently highlighted three Gannon articles that were little more than reprints of Republican and Bush administration releases; Media Matters has also noted Gannon's role as White House press secretary Scott McClellan's lifeline and Talon editor in chief Bobby Eberle's partisan political activities. A more in-depth look at Talon, Gannon, and Eberle casts additional doubt on Talon's claim to be a media outlet and raises questions about whether Gannon should be a credentialed member of the White House press corps.

Eberle is also, as Media Matters has previously noted, president and CEO of GOPUSA, a "conservative news, information, and design company dedicated to promoting conservative ideals." Though Eberle has claimed on the September 13, 2004, edition of MSNBC's Scarborough Country that GOPUSA and Talon News are separate companies, they overlap heavily.

In addition to Eberle's dual role as the head of both entities, both domain names TalonNews.com and GOPUSA.com are registered to the same address in Pearland, Texas, which appears to be Eberle's personal residence. The TalonNews.com domain name registration lists Eberle's email address as [e-mail]. Articles on TalonNews.com consist of brief introductory paragraphs, followed by a link to "Read more"; clicking on that link takes you to a page that announces, "This story can be found on our #1 client -- GOPUSA!" Readers are then redirected to the GOPUSA.com site.

[truthpusher]

3. I am surprised that story hasn't cracked the MSM yet? n/t

[Roland99]

4. Perhaps it runs deeper than we know?